Plastic clips



H. E. FRAME PLASTIC CLIPS June 28, 1966 Filed March 26, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,257,695 PLASTIC CLIPS Helen E. Frame, Opa Loclra, Fla. (26 Govenour St., Canton, N.Y.) Filed Mar. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 355,019 4 Claims. (Cl. 24-305) This invention relates to removable fastening devices and is more particularly directed to plastic clips.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide plastic clips that may be used as clothes pins, for closing the ends of bags, packages or wrappers in maintaining the article of food therein airtight and for other like purposes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide plastic clips which are light in weight, inexpensive in cost, compact as well as simple in construction yet are very-effective as clothes pins, bag closing devices for retaining foods and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide plastic clips which may be used as clothes pins which are provided with a slot having serrations along one side for effectively gripping the clothes and clothes line wedged therein.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide plastic clips with a locking member removably secured thereon whereby the plastic clip cannot inadvertently be released from its grip on a wrapper or bag.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however,'that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims,

- In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of an article of clothing and a clothes line with my plastic clip in position thereon securing the article of clothing on the clothes line.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the plastic clip with a locking member mounted thereon.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of my plastic clipshown in FIGURE 3 securing a wrapper of a loaf of bread shown by dotted lines.

FIGURE 5 is a plastic clip of slightly modified construction.

FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 3 showing the locking member in an alternate position.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the locking member.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1111 refers to my plastic clip shown positioned on a clothes line 11 for fastening one end of an article of clothing 12 thereto. The plastic clip made of a hard or rigid plastic consists of a substantially fiat circular disc 13 with a radially disposed tapered slot 14 extending to approximately the center of the disc 13. The slot 14 flares outwardly as at 15, 15 where it joins the perimeter of the disc on each of its sides. To provide the thin disc 13 with reinforcement, a raised border 16 is provided about the perimeter of disc 13. The raised edges 17 of the slot 14 are likewise provided for the purpose of strengthening the disc 13 and rendering the disc portion 13 inflexible. At the center of the disc 13 in proximity of the end portion of the slot 14, the disc 13 3,257,695 Patented June 28, 1966 'ice is further reinforced by providing a raised center portion 18. The slot 14 is provided with a series of serrations 19 along one side thereof and is smooth on its other side as at 20. Since the raised edges 17, 17 at the slot 14 render the disc inflexible the serrations 19 maintain the article that is wedged therein against inadvertent dislodge- -ment therefrom. On each side of the slot 14 there is a bore 21 having a raised outer edge 24 whose function is explained in detail hereinafter.

In the normal use of my plastic clip 10 as a clothes pin, the end portion of the article of clothing 12 is placed over the clothes line 11 and the plastic clip 10 is placed on the article of clothing with the flared portion 15, 15 of the slot engaging the article of clothing 12 and clothes line 11. With a downward force being applied on the plastic clip 10, the clothes line 11 and clothing 12 will slide upwardly in the slot 14 until firmly wedged therein as shown by FIGURE 2 with the serrations 14 engaging the clothing 12 and preventing any outward slipping movement in the slot 14.

To remove the plastic clip 10 from the clothes line 11 for releasing the article of clothing 12, the plastic clip 10 is grasped at its upper portion and rotated in a counter clockwise direction-as viewed and simultaneously pulled upwardly in a direction away from the clothes line 11 by FIGURE 2. This movement of the disc 10 causes the clothes line 11 to be released of its wedged position in the slot 14 by sliding along the smooth edge portion 20 to the outer enlarged portion of the slot 14, 15 where the clothes line 11 leaves the clip 10.

When it is desired to use the plastic clip 10 to secure the ends 35 of a bag or wrapper 34 of food such as bread, etc., a locking member 311 is utilized. The locking member 30 consists of a flat body portion 31 of arcuate side walls of sufficient length to extend between the bores 20. At each end of the body portion 31 there is a lock pin 32 which fits tightly into the bores 21) when the locking member 30 is placed in locking position on the plastic dis-c 10 as shown by FIGURE 3. The lower edge 33 is curved to conform with the circular edge of the disc 11 while the upper edge 35 which is also curved engages the wrapper 35 to secure the wrapper end 35 from slipping from the slot 19. Also to prevent the lock pins 32 from slipping inadvertently out of the bores 21, the lock pins 32 are each provided with shoulders 26 which engage the obverse side of the disc 13 at the raised bore surface 24.

When it is desired to close off and secure the end of a wrapper of bread as shown by FIGURE 4, the disc 11 at its slot 14 is slipped over the compressed end 35 of the wrapper 35. When the wrapper end 35 has slid to the upper portion of the slot 14, the locking member 30 is placed across the slot 14 below the wrapper end 35 and the pins 32 placed in the bores 21. Pressure is placed on the body portion 31 forcing the pins 32 to slide in the bores 21 until the body portion engages the disc 13 and the shoulders 26 engage the obverse side of the disc 13. The wrapper 35 will be held tightly by the plastic clip 10 and no air, moisture, etc. will be able to either enter into or escape from within the bag or wrapper 34. To remove the plastic clip '10, the locking member 31) is pulled outwardly of the disc 13 causing the shoulders 26 to be disengaged from the raised edge 24 of the bores 21 and the pins 32 have been pulled out of the bores 21. The plastic clip 10 is then pulled away from the wrapper 35 utilizing a slight rotating action of the clip 10 as described hereinabove in connection with removal of the clip 10 from the clothesline 11.

The slightly modified construction of my plastic clip 10 is shown by FIGURE 5. The plastic clip 22 is somewhat similar to that shown and described hereinabove except that the shape of the disc 23 is scalloped rather than circular. Also, at the mid-portion of the serrations 19 there is an enlarged member 25 and at the extreme end there is a second enlarged member 26. These members 25 and 26 engage the articles wedged in the slot 14 and prevent their slipping out of the slot. If the article wedged in the slot 14 is thin, then the enlarged member 25 will engage same, while it the article is bulky and enters the slot 14 only part way, the enlarged member 26 will engage the article and prevent it from slipping from the slot 14. It is readily noted that the disc portion of my plastic clip may be designed with any configuration or shape as desired without affecting the proper functioning of the clip 10.

As best shown by FIGURE 6, if the wrapper 35 of an article of food is not as bulky as that shown by FIG. 5, then the locking member 30 may be reversed when inserted in the bores 21. The upwardly curved edge portion 33 will engage the wrapper extending through the slot 14 to engage and hold the wrapper 35 firmly.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A plastic clip comprising a disc portion having a substantially radially disposed slotted portion extending from the mid-portion to the perimeter thereof, said slotted portion being tapered and having outwardly flared edge portions joining said perimeter, a plurality of serrations positioned along one edge of said slotted portion, said disc portion having a bore on each side of said slotted portion in proximity of said perimeter and locking means received by said bores and extending across said slotted portion.

2. A plastic clip comprising a disc portion'having a substantially radially disposed slotted portion extending from the mid-portion to the perimeter thereof, said slotted portion being tapered and having outwardly flared edge portions joining said perimeter, a plurality of serrations positioned along one edge of said slotted portion, and locking means removably mounted on said disc portion and extending across said slot.

3. A plastic clip comprising a disc portion having a substantially radially disposed slotted portion extending from the mid-portion to the perimeter thereof, said slotted portion being tapered and having outwardly flared edge portions joining said perimeter, a plurality of serrations positioned along one edge of said slotted portion, said disc portion having a bore on each side of said slotted portion in proximity of said perimeter, an elongated body member, a pin mounted at each end of said elongated body member, said pins received by said bores whereby said elongated body member extends across said slotted portion.

4. A plastic clip comprising a disc portion having a substantially radially disposed slotted portion extending from the mid-portion to the perimeter thereof, said slotted portion being tapered and having outwardly flared edge portions joining said perimeter, a plurality of serrations positioned along one edge of said slotted portion having an enlarged member at each of the mid-portion and end portion thereof, said disc portion having a bore on each side of said slotted portion in proximity of said perimeter, an arcuate body member, a pin mounted at each end of said arcuate body member, said pins each having a shoulder for engaging the obverse side of said disc portion when said pins are received by said bores whereby said arcuate body extends across the said slotted portion and said arcuate body is secured to said disc portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 128,835 8/1941 Van Der Clute.

596,150 12/1897 Fitch 2430.5 X 2,910,753 11/1959 Carbauh 24l38 2,983,013 5/1961 Mader 24-137 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,183,598 1/1959 France. 437,225 1/1948 Italy.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PLASTIC CLIP COMPRISING A DISC PORTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY DISPOSED SLOTTED PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE MID-PORTION TO THE PERIMETER THEREOF, SAID SLOTTED PORTION BEING TAPERED AND HAVING OUTWARDLY FLARED EDGE PORTIONS JOINING SAID PERIMETER, A PLURALITY OF SERRATIONS POSITIONED ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID SLOTTED PORTION, SAID DISC PORTION HAVING A BORE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID SLOTTED PORTION IN PROXIMITY OF SAID PERIMETER AND LOCKING MEANS RECEIVED BY SAID BORES AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SLOTTED PORTION. 